I started in Sept. '93 with a Goldberg Mirage 550. I used 3 packs of 6-1500 cells and the stock motor. I ended up teaching myself as the local clubs instructors were all too busy with contests. It only took me a box full of balsa and a couple of tubes of glue to get it down. That and about 50 crashes over 1.5 months! When that motor burned up finally, I switched over to an Astro 05 and seven cells. Man what an eyeopener that was.

My first-ever R/C flight was a Sky Scooter. I've only ever flown electric. After seeing what planes like the Aveox Embat and CSD Vortex can do, I've never been tempted by the noisy/oily side of the hobby.

I was lucky a guy at the Uni where I work was into electrics. The only time I had spare was in lunch hour. So we would wander onto an nearby cricket field with my Nora and not disturb anyone. With the help of a buddy box I was in the air. I progressed steadily till I soloed. This wasn't even 12 months ago.
Then came a Trick RC Razor then a 2M Glider then a LitestiK and an mini IFO indoors in a 3 basketball court stadium.
If it wasn't for the virtually silent operation of electric(with exception of Razor) I wouldn't have had the time on weekends to get into R/C.
Since I was a kid I wanted to get involved. After I started working I bought a 40 sized slimmer then started to do the club thing. But saw my buddy put his plane nose first from about a 100 feet, kinda lost a bit of interest then discovered water sking. Discovered chicks like water skiing not intersted in R/C thus plane went into storage. That was 17 years ago...

All I can say is there is no beating an Instructor and a buddy box even with those we had a few incidents so if you are on your own it must be real tough

The first RC plane I built was a PT-Electric but I taught myself to fly with a 2 meter sailplane I bought from a co-worker for $20 who built it but never flew it. The PT-E was complete less radio installation and setting in the shop while I taught myself to fly. I had installed the Futaba Attack 4 with the MCR-4a RX/ESC and two S-133 servos in the glider (no motor) with a 6 cell 1500 mah sub C pack that was go in the PT-E. I started my lessons by throwing this glider with the brick in it around a middle school playground.

I was, I had a glow trainer, but never managed to get it off the ground. First plane I actually flew was a Gentle lady glider. Then Electric, Only flew glow 2 or 3 times after I learned how to fly allready with electrics

My first plane was the Miss 2. I have a 1/3 scale cub that has never seen the air due to it is a gas plane. I have feel in love with these little planes and have no interest to even start that big gas thing I have. Mabe I convert it one day.

If you don't count a 2 channel 1/2 a trainer 30 years ago which never landed sucessfully.

I started 3 years ago. I built a Mirage 550 and finished it towards the end of the season. It looked so good I didn't want to trash it learning. It is still unflown. (maybe this winter I will put a gearbox on the motor or try a brushless for next year)

Next, I built a Push-e Cat, which I have been flying for 2 years now. The first year I belonged to a sort-of organized club, so I only flew it a half-dozen times. I am now a member of an electric-only club with lots of members able to teach. I have been able to fly about every other week (work, weather, family, etc.) I am landing reasonably consistantly now.

Wanted to get into it in april but the plane I wanted was out of stock(THANK GOD) found the E-zone in May and started flying My Skyscooter in the end of June, Now fly the Wattage Hawk and managed to impress some guys at a gasser field with the stunts I was doing, The inverted loop got the most responce. And they did not believe me when I told them how long I have been flying????? Lots of time on FMS helped a lot and love these little stunt rockets.

When I got into eflight 2 yeasr ago I was for all practicle purposes a newbie.
About 20 years ago I had limited experiance and even more limited succuss with an .061 IC powered Ace High glider. And about 5 years berore that tried IC boats with a Dumas Little Swamp Buggy air boat.
A lot has changed in those 20 to 25 years.

I was bitten by the R/C airplane bug in the winter of '87. My wife and I were driving by a flying field (it's all houses and apartments, now) and decided to stop and take a look. After talking to some of the guys there, I decided that I wanted a plane. I had some modeling experience and was eager to get started, so they recommended I get a trainer. So, I picked up a .40-sized balsa plane called the Aerostar. I spent a couple weeks building it, took it out to the field, and had a very experienced flyer teach me to fly. I learned pretty quick, but I would have never had a chance without a teacher. I got cocky once, flew too close to the ground inverted, panicked, pulled back on the stick and drove it straight into the ground. I rebuilt it, and it flew even better the next time. Anyway, I flew it for about a year after, then started to concentrate more on raising my babies than on playing with my toys. Fast forward to last year...found this website, got interested in electric flight, built a T-52, and viola! - back again. Now I have a completely built Soarstar that I can't fly because the esc is bad. (Sorry about the long post).

Still have my Aerostar, but I can't bring myself to go through the hassle of getting the old slimer back in the air.

I can remember wearing the cover off a Model Airplane New mag in the mid 70's as a young kid, of course C/L was all I could afford. Years have passed and responsibilities grew and like most teckno geeks, computers became a way of life. But, this summer I decided to start "working to live, instead of living to work".

After beating a buddies Zagi into the ground for a couple of weeks, I got to the point of wanting a more "conventional" plane. Started off with a Terry, got bored - added ailerons. It wasn't fast enough, got a Hawk. Cool, but was looking for something to really throw around in the air. After following the E-Zone thread on the Magic 3-D, picked one up from the LHS. Throw in an Aveox 1406, (Found it in the F.S. section on E-Zone) 12 cells, 14x10 prop and verticals, loops, rolls, WooHoo I will say bringing a plane down on landing gear still makes the palms sweat, but over a dozen landings (I was once told "flying's easy, it's the contolled crashes that are hard") and she's still in one piece. I've been lucky enough to fly other's Mirage (great rolls), F-22 (fun) Crazee ElectricSailplane (not), and a Mini-Max (slooooow)

I'm feeling fairly accomplished for two months of effort, basicly teaching myself with the first two planes and soloing the first time out with the Magic 3-D. Just wish I'd started 15 years ago... Not only is this hobby a ton of fun, but I'd say I've met more people in the last 2 months than in the last years worth of business. And you don't have to guess who I'd rather hang out with... Can't wait for DEAF.

Best Regards,

Terry G Phillips
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Every day we grow older, but who says we have to grow up?